


Promises to Keep

by Tarlan



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Angst, Community: mcsheplets, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-01-28
Updated: 2008-01-28
Packaged: 2017-10-21 14:10:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/226067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tarlan/pseuds/Tarlan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sheppard makes a promise, but can he keep it?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Promises to Keep

**Author's Note:**

> Written for McSheplets 02: Michael

When Doctor Frankenstein, aka Carson Beckett, had come up with the idea of humanizing the Wraith, Rodney had been impressed. Of course, the first unintentional test had the complete opposite effect and had almost cost him John. Even now, he still recoiled from the memory of Elizabeth telling them to say their last goodbye while John was still barely recognizable as human. On that occasion, Carson had come through for John in time, saving him from spending the rest of his life as something more Iratus than Wraith, something definitely no longer human.

It took two weeks before John was declared fully human again; two weeks of slowly watching the blue scales recede, of seeing yellow-slitted eyes return to their normal chameleon hazel, of waiting for recognition and memory to return. Two weeks before he could hold John in his arms once more.

After that, life returned to some semblance of normality, and if John did seem a little more clingy, holding him tight during those few nights when he allowed himself to stay after the mind-blowing sex, Rodney put it down to lingering trauma. Nothing extensive, just the realization of how the Pegasus galaxy could take even a man's humanity, and not just his life.

The cullings continued with whole populations vanishing to sate the hunger of too many Wraith awoken too soon.

Then, several months later, Carson hijacked the morning briefing to inform them of his progress, saying he needed to move to the next level and try the retrovirus on a Wraith test subject, and no one objected. It was the next logical step after all, and ethics be damned. However, when Carson insisted that the test be carried out on Atlantis, the only person other than him to lodge objections was Ronon. What was wrong with using the alpha site anyway? Admittedly, it would involve far more work setting up laboratories and living quarters, and if anything went wrong they would be compromising the security of alpha site. Yet, better that than have the Wraith discover Atlantis still existed.

"Don't you think your over-dramatizing the situation, Rodney?"

Once the accusation of _drama queen_ was out there, nothing he said could dissuade the others from taking the chance, with Michael's resulting amnesia lulling them all into a false sense of security. Even Rodney felt obliged to sate his curiosity by talking to Michael in the mess hall but he couldn't shake the feeling that this was wrong, wrong, wrong.

Of course he was right, right, right.

It was pretty ironic that the two people who had objected to Michael most strongly were the two trussed up on a hive ship ready to be used as Wraith snacks. Ronon was in the food storage chamber next to his, and Rodney had heard no word from him since the guards came around and stunned him for a second time. Now, as Rodney stared out through the sticky Wraith webbing that was keeping him immobile, he reflected on last night. He'd offered arrogant reassurances that he had everything under control, that he had perfected a means to transport through the Wraith shields so the _Daedalus_ could pull him and Ronon out at a moment's notice.

"And if it doesn't work, I'll come for you," John had stated softly while one hand caressed Rodney's back from shoulder to waist.

"Of course it will work," he had murmured back against the warm, naked chest, too sated for any trace of irritation.

"I'm just saying, if it doesn't..."

"It will."

It hadn't worked.

He heard a low moan and realized Ronon was awakening, the Wraith scientist timing it perfectly as he stepped up to Rodney's cocoon and leaned in, letting Rodney know the full extent of his arrogance.

 _If it doesn't work, I'll come for you._

As the hive ship traveled through hyperspace, heading for Earth, Rodney wished with all his heart that John could have kept his promise.

END


End file.
